Woman authorities say stole more than $235,000 from her mom back in jail

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – A 41-year-old former Merrill woman who authorities say, along with her husband, took more than $235,000 from her mother is back in jail after a Wood County judge increased her bond.

Circuit Judge Nicholas Brazeau Jr. increased the bond for Kecia J. Fait, currently listed with a Marshfield address, from $500 cash to $2,000 cash and ordered her to immediately report to the Wood County Jail. Fait had been scheduled for a trial Wednesday for the charge of being a party to the crime of theft by false representation. The appearance had been changed to a plea hearing after Fait told her attorney she needed time to get important documents related to the case from Iowa.

Wood County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Constable asked Brazeau to increase Fait’s bond Wednesday, saying Fait had previously left the state and had been talking about the important documents for four months.

Fait’s attorney, Adam Raabe, asked Brazeau not to increase Fait’s bond, but to instead set a “hard” trial date. Brazeau showed Fait a piece of paper with a few lines of typing on it.

“This is my calendar for today, “ Brazeau said. “My calendar would normally have 20 things listed on it. This was a hard trial date.”

Brazeau then increased Fait’s bond and said her attorney would escort her to the jail. Fait’s next appearance is scheduled for July 18.

Kecia Fait’s husband, Dennis M. Fait, 46, of Merrill previously pleaded no contest to being a party to the crime of theft by false representation.

Brazeau sentenced Dennis Fait to 40 days already served in jail and placed him on three years of probation. Brazeau also ordered Dennis Fait to pay his share of $1,404.74 extradition fees, pay court costs and undergo any counseling deemed necessary.

Like his wife, Dennis Fait had failed to make a scheduled plea hearing appearance Feb. 26 and left the state. Authorities arrested the couple in Des Moines, Iowa, in early April.

Last week, Brazeau ordered no restitution to be made in the case by Dennis Fait. The couple convinced Kecia Fait’s mother she owed them the money and she refuses to ask for restitution, Constable said.

According to the criminal complaint:

Kecia Fait convinced her mother there was a court order directing the older woman to pay Kecia Fait for providing caretaker duties.

Every other Friday, Dennis and Kecia Fait would drive Kecia Fait’s mother to a financial institution in Marshfield, where they withdrew the amount of the mother’s payroll check. The couple took about $1,600 from the mother each month.

Dennis Fait told authorities he had been driving the mother and daughter to get the money every other Friday since the couple got married in 2005. He said the car he was driving was purchased with money from his mother-in-law.